Estimating Emergency Department Space

Originally printed in the

SpaceMed Newsletter
Fall 2012
www.spacemed.com

The space required to accommodate a specific number of annual emergency

department (ED) visits can vary significantly depending on the acuity of the patients
to be treated, the average turnaround time (or throughput) of each treatment space,
the extent of ED-based diagnostic services, and the amount of support space. Also,
hospital policies on holding patients within the ED who require extended
observation or who are waiting to be admitted results in the need for additional
space. Developing a preliminary estimate of the footprint required for an ED
involves projecting the annual number of visits, identifying the expected number of
treatment spaces, and then assigning an appropriate amount of department gross
square feet (DGSF) per treatment space. Efficient, high-performing EDs may
experience an average treatment space turnaround rate of 1,600 to 1,900 annual
visits while under-performing EDs may average only 1,000 to 1,500 annual visits
per treatment space. Likewise, depending on the amount and size of support
spaces and efficiency of the layout, the overall DGSF per treatment space typically
ranges between 550 and 650 DGSF.
The preliminary space estimate table shown on the next page can be used to
quickly estimate the number of treatment spaces and overall range of DGSF for an
efficient ED.

2012.5.3

Copyright SpaceMed

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Total ED Visits
Total
Annual
ED Visits

20,000
22,500
25,000
27,500
30,000
32,500
35,000
37,500
40,000
42,500
45,000
47,500
50,000
52,500
55,000
57,500
60,000
62,500
65,000
67,500
70,000
72,500
75,000
77,500
80,000
82,500
85,000
87,500

Average
Daily
Visits

66
74
82
90
98
107
115
123
131
139
148
156
164
172
180
189
197
205
213
221
230
238
246
254
262
270
279
287

Emergency/Urgent Care
Peak
Daily
Visits

85
94
103
112
121
131
140
149
158
166
176
185
194
203
211
221
230
238
247
256
265
274
283
291
300
308
318

Peak
Shift
Visits

26
28
31
34
36
39
42
45
47
50
53
56
58
61
63
66
69
71
74
77
80
82
85
87
90
92
95
98

General
Treatment
Spaces
Required

7
7
8
9
9
10
11
11
12
13
13
14
15
15
16
17
17
18
19
19
20
21
21
22
23
23
24
25

Trauma/
Resuscitation
Spaces
Required

1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

Non -Urgent Care

Specialty
Treatment
Spaces
Required

1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4

Peak
Shift
Visits

26
28
31
34
36
39
42
45
47
50
53
56
58
61
63
66
69
71
74
77
80
82
85
87
90
92
95
98

Estimated Space

Holding

Non-Urgent
Treatment
Spaces
Required

Observation/
Holding Unit
Spaces
(Optional)

3
4
4
4
5
5
5
6
6
6
7
7
7
8
8
8
9
9
9
10
10
10
11
11
11
12
12
12

2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
6
6
6
6
6
7
7
7
7
7
8

Total
Treatment
Spaces

Department
Gross Square Feet

12
13
15
16
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
27
28
29
30
32
33
34
35
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44

6,600
7,150
8,250
8,800
9,900
10,450
11,000
11,550
12,100
12,650
13,200
13,750
14,850
15,400
15,950
16,500
17,600
18,150
18,700
19,250
20,350
20,900
21,450
22,000
22,550
23,100
23,650
24,200

to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to

14
15
17
19
21
22
23
24
26
27
28
29
32
33
34
35
37
39
40
41
43
44
46
47
48
49
50
52

to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to

9,100
9,750
11,050
12,350
13,650
14,300
14,950
15,600
16,900
17,550
18,200
18,850
20,800
21,450
22,100
22,750
24,050
25,350
26,000
26,650
27,950
28,600
29,900
30,550
31,200
31,850
32,500
33,800

Note:
Assumes that 40% of the total Emergency Department (ED) visits are non-urgent and that 15% of the total ED visits are admitted;
optimal treatment space (room/bed) turnaround times are used in the above table and are as follows:
Average of 120 minutes for emergency/urgent care treatment spaces
Average of 90 minutes for non-urgent care treatment spaces
Average of 150 minutes for optional observation/holding unit spaces
Department Gross Square Feet (DGSF) represents the "footprint" of a department or functional component and includes the net square feet of the individual rooms as well as
the space occupied by internal circulation corridors, walls/partitions, and minor utility shafts; DGSF excludes common areas such as shared public corridors and lobbies,
elevator banks, stairwells, major mechanical spaces, and the space occupied by the building's exterior wall.

2012.5.3

Copyright SpaceMed

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